Latest News

New Survey Shows Impact of Gambling Advertising on Customers

Published

5 years ago

June 24, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has published its latest survey which reveals the impact of gambling advertising on customers. The survey included data from 6258 respondents.

Of the 4,566 respondents who had gambled in the past 12 months, 34% said that a post or media had prompted them to spend money on a gambling activity in that period.

Free bets or money to spend with a gambling company was the most likely to prompt a customer to engage in gambling, with 22% of gamblers reporting doing so.

Advertising on social media and TV had each prompted 15% of gamblers to gamble in the last 12 months. Direct marketing, sports sponsorships and newspaper advertising prompted 9%, 8% and 7%, respectively.

The Gambling Commission also asked those who had reported seeing gambling ads how, if at all, those ads had changed their gambling habits.

Of those respondents who had reported seeing traditional advertising from gambling companies – such as television or print ads – 52.8% said that the advertising had not changed the amount that they gambled.

Meanwhile, 13.0% said such ads prompted them to start gambling for the first time, while 16.3% said these traditional ads prompted them to increase the amount that they gamble.

A further 14.7% were prompted to restart gambling after taking a break from the activity because of these ads. Meanwhile, 10.1% said the ads prompted them to change what they gambled on or try a new form of gambling.

Free bets or money to spend with a gambling company was shown to be the most effective new customer acquisition method, as 25.9% of those who had gambled in the last 12 months and seen posts or advertising said that free bets prompted them to start gambling for the first time.

Free bets also led to 18.6% of viewers restarting gambling after taking a break.

Of the advertising methods examined, the Gambling Commission said free bets had the lowest rate of responses saying they had not changed the amount that respondents gambled, at just 35.2%.

Direct marketing via email, text message or push notification appeared to be more effective with existing or lapsed customers, however. It was cited by most respondents as prompting them to increase the amount they gambled, at 21.8%. It was also the method that prompted most people to restart gambling after taking a break, at 19.6%.

The figures also showed that 85% of those surveyed reported having seen any gambling advertising or sponsorship. In total, 83% reported having seen advertising and 78% having seen sponsorship.

These figures are down on 2019’s survey which showed 87% of people had seen advertisements or sponsorships, with 86% seeing advertisements and 82% sponsorships.

Television advertising was the most widely seen format for gambling advertising, with 76% of respondents reporting seeing this.

Gambling sponsorships on TV, radio or podcasts were the next most common format for people to see, at 67%. Other common places to see gambling advertising or sponsorships were on sports merchandise (60%), in sports venues (59%) and online outside social media (56%).

The least common reported place to see a gambling advertisement was via direct marketing, either by email, text message or push notification, which 37% of respondents reported seeing.

The data showed that young people are more likely to see gambling advertising online, with 77% of people aged 18 to 24 saying they had seen gambling ads online, compared to 55% of those 65 and over.

Of those surveyed, most (68%) said they use social media but don’t follow gambling operators or companies. Meanwhile, 17% said they do not use social media or streaming platforms, and 16% said they do follow or watch gambling companies.

Latest News

PG Soft releases wrestling-themed slot Reel Royale Showdown

Published

59 minutes ago

May 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

pg-soft-releases-wrestling-themed-slot-reel-royale-showdown

PG Soft has launched Reel Royale Showdown, a wrestling-inspired video slot built for mobile play. The company says the title is set in a wrestling arena and uses a 6-reel layout.

Reel Royale Showdown includes a Wild Addition mechanic and an escalating multiplier that increases with each win. A Wild symbol substitutes for all symbols except the Scatter and appears only on reels two, three, four and five.

In the base game, three Wild slots above the reels start deactivated. Each winning round activates one Wild slot. Once all three are activated, Wild symbols are added to every empty position on reels two to five before the next round begins.

The Free Spins feature triggers when four or more Scatter symbols land anywhere on the reels, awarding 10 free spins. Each additional Scatter adds two extra spins. In Free Spins, the multiplier starts at x1 and increases by one after every winning combination, including after wins are paid and new symbols cascade into place.

PG Soft said free spins can be retriggered and the maximum win is 5,000x. A spokesperson said: “Reel Royale Showdown puts players in the front row for an epic battle, where the spoils go to the champion willing to fight to the end. The Wild Addition mechanic makes this a show-stopper,, while the escalating multipliers in Free Spins mean big rewards are always just one cascade away.”

The post PG Soft releases wrestling-themed slot Reel Royale Showdown appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

1X2 Network

1X2 Network launches in Finland via Veikkaus deal

Published

2 hours ago

May 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

1x2-network-launches-in-finland-via-veikkaus-deal

Initial rollout brings 10 slots from Iron Dog Studio and Prospect Gaming to the state-owned operator, via Light & Wonder.

1X2 Network has entered the Finnish market after signing a content partnership with Veikkaus, Finland’s state-owned gaming operator.

Under the agreement, a selection of titles from 1X2 Network studios Iron Dog Studio and Prospect Gaming will go live for Finnish players for the first time. The initial rollout includes 10 games, with named titles including 3 HOT CHILLI PEPPERS, 3 PORKY BANKS HOLD and WIN EXTRA, BURN IN HELL, and PIÑATA GO GO.

1X2 Network said the integration was enabled through its collaboration with Light & Wonder, which is supplying the route to market for the content.

Kevin Reid, Chief Executive Officer at 1X2 Network said: “We are delighted to partner with Veikkaus and bring our games to players in Finland. Veikkaus has built a strong reputation as a trusted and responsible operator, and this launch represents an exciting opportunity for us to introduce titles from our flagship studios, Iron Dog Studio and Prospect Gaming to a brand-new audience.”

Riikka Seppänen, VP, iCasino at Veikkaus said: “We are pleased to welcome content from 1X2 Network to our platform. Their games offer engaging gameplay and popular features that we believe will resonate well with our players while supporting our commitment to delivering high quality and responsible entertainment.”

The post 1X2 Network launches in Finland via Veikkaus deal appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Digital Wallets

Neosurf reorganises operations as it targets Europe and the Americas expansion

Published

2 hours ago

May 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

neosurf-reorganises-operations-as-it-targets-europe-and-the-americas-expansion

Neosurf has reorganised its operations as it prepares to scale products and expand across Europe and the Americas, the cash-to-digital payments provider said.

The company said the updated structure is intended to better support the rollout of “new market-ready products” and help it deliver its payment solutions “on a wider scale.” Neosurf did not disclose what specific organisational changes were made or whether the move affects headcount.

Neosurf also positioned the reorganisation as a way to improve agility in response to future regulatory changes, saying the company aims to remain flexible operationally and technologically as it moves into its “next major phase of its evolution.”

Andrea McGeachin, Global CEO at Neosurf, said: “As we continue to grow our new digital wallet products across Europe and the Americas, it’s important that our organisation evolves alongside our ambitions. Our new structure ensures that we’re built for agility, resilience, and long-term success, and we remain committed to our mission of bridging the gap between cash and digital payments with an optimised foundation that’s built to proactively anticipate and adapt to future regulatory change.”

Neosurf said it will share further updates on its plans “shortly.”

The post Neosurf reorganises operations as it targets Europe and the Americas expansion appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.